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9

FREYDIS

T ime melted together, and I’d never felt safer, happier, or more cared for. And every minute of every day, Marrex made sure I knew that there was nothing and nobody more important to him than me.

Each night before bed, Marrex took me outside of the cave and held me close as he flew high above the mountains. The thrill of those flights was something I’d never be able to explain, no matter how hard I tried to vocalize the euphoria I felt.

And this evening, we did our ritual a little earlier so we could watch the sunset, with Marrex clutching me tightly as we soared above the treetops, the cool wind whirling around us and carrying away all the remnants of fear I’d known for so long.

As we ascended, the earth below shrank into a patchwork of dark shadows, and I felt free, untethered from the darkness of the world that had been my prison my entire life.

I clung to Marrex, exhilarated by the rush of air whipping my hair all around my face and the feeling of weightlessness. My heart pounded with pure adrenaline.

When we finally landed in a quiet clearing on the edge of the woods, I tipped my head back and gazed up at the sky. It was painted in soft hues, the setting sun casting a rainbow over the vast area.

When I glanced at my mate, Marrex’s eyes glowed that ethereal, crystalline shade.

“Let me hunt for you. Let me feed my mate.”

I smiled, loving the way he wanted to take care of me so profoundly. It wasn’t just hunting for me. It was holding me, making sure I was always comfortable and safe, and that I was the first one to find my pleasure.

With purpose, he led me into the forest. I could tell he was already prepared. He was already game for the hunt. Marrex was a true predator. My predator.

We moved silently through the underbrush, every step Marrex made measured and confident. He kept me behind him, his enormous hand holding mine to keep me within reach.

He belonged here, in these elements, as if he were meant to be among the wild, feral creatures of this world.

“Sit here,” he whispered and set me on a large boulder, my feet off the ground so there was a good amount of distance between me and the earth below.

I heard the beast he stalked, although I didn’t see it. But the way Marrex crouched, his body so tight I saw the way his muscles clenched and relaxed, told me he knew exactly where it was.

I watched in awe as he hunted what sounded like an otherworldly creature. The light faded, casting shadows and darkness all over the land. And then I saw it. Marrex’s prey.

It came out of the tree line, its body big and hairy and utterly terrifying. And its eyes glinted with hunger as he squared off with my monster. I should have been afraid, but Marrex stood between me and it, and I knew, just because of that, I was safe.

In a burst of savage precision, he attacked, bringing the animal down with what seemed like little effort for him. There was a fight, brutal and savage, but Marrex was bigger and much stronger. Death came quickly for the beast, and the forest fell silent after the fight, save for the steady, reassuring sound of Marrex’s post-fight breathing. And then he surprised me—looking down at his kill and thanking it for the nourishment it would provide to him and his fated mate.

Marrex stood there, now staring at me, watching for my reaction, dark blood covering his face and bare chest. He held his hand out to me, and I instantly slipped down the boulder and walked over to place my much smaller one into his. He flew us away, me clutched in his arms, the beast being hauled by one talon-tipped foot, silent as we returned to the base of the mountain, far below his cave. The soft glow of night was now settling over the forest.

Without wasting a moment, he set about cleaning his kill, stripping away the hide until all that remained was the meat that we would take up to our lair.

The pungent, musky scent of the creature’s death and blood mingled with the damp, earthy aroma of the forest, which still clung to its hide.

I found a spot to the side and leaned against a tree to watch him work, my eyes following every deliberate movement of his skilled hands. I caught sight of nearby bushes, heavy with wild berries. I recognized them from when I picked fruit in the woods when I lived in the village.

I smelled their sweetness when the wind blew it toward me. I walked to the bushes and started plucking the berries off, wandering a little deeper into the foliage to get the bigger ones in the back. I glanced back, still seeing Marrex working. He kept glancing up at me, making sure he had me in his field of vision.

I stretched out to pluck a ripe cluster, but just as I placed the berries in the pocket of the dress my monster had fashioned for me, a sudden chill crawled along my skin. I stilled and just listened. And when I looked up slowly, I noticed movement among the trees.

There was a small group of creatures emerging from the shadowy forest. Their forms were strange and unnerving, ones I had never seen before. Their small stature did not erase the fact that they had razor-sharp fangs, gaping mouths dripping with black saliva, and beady, red eyes trained right on me.

Their desperate hunger was tangible. They had been drawn by the scent of blood from our hunt.

“Marrex,” I whispered, unsure if saying anything would make things worse with these little assholes.

“Do not move,” my mate said low, his voice deep.

Before I could react, the creatures surged forward, snarling and snapping as they closed in on me. I froze, panic gripping me as I saw they were intent on getting to any piece of me they could before another predator might arrive.

But Marrex was right there in a blink, pushing me behind his broad back. His deafening roar shattered the tense atmosphere. It was a fierce, protective sound that made the very ground rumble.

And then Marrex tore forward, his eyes blazing with their crystalline glow. He was filled with unyielding fury. His roar had sent the feral attackers scattering back into the undergrowth, but he still charged after them.

I stumbled back and landed on my bottom, adrenaline and relief rushing through my veins, the berries I’d picked scattering to the ground all around me. In that terrifying moment, I realized that no matter how wild or dangerous this world became, Marrex would always come for me, always protect me from any danger.

He turned and faced me then, his chest rising and falling. His powerful cry as he saw me on the ground echoed through the forest, one that was primal and protective and spoke of how dangerous he truly was.

“ Mine! ” he snarled with enough possessiveness it coated me.

I was strong in my own right, but having someone at your back, helping you survive, made things a lot easier.

All of this was a stark reminder that I was his. He was mine. And we were in this together. We’d face whatever darkness came our way.

I nodded.

“Yours,” I whispered with just as much passion.